The present teachings are predicated upon providing a device for use in a disc brake system for use with vehicles. For example, the disc brake system may be used with almost any vehicle (e.g. car, truck, bus, train, airplane, or the like). Alternatively, the disc brake system may be integrated into assemblies used for manufacturing or other equipment that require a brake such as a lathe, winder for paper products or cloth, amusement park rides, wind turbines, or the like. However, the present teachings are most suitable for use with a passenger vehicle (e.g., a car, truck, sports utility vehicle, or the like).
Generally, a floating caliper braking system includes a rotor, a caliper body, a support bracket, an inboard brake pad, and an outboard brake pad that are on opposing sides of the rotor. The caliper body further includes one or more fingers (with or without a piston), one or more piston bores, and a bridge that connects the one or more fingers to the piston bore or two opposing piston bores together. The piston bore houses a piston. The piston bore has a bore axis that the piston moves along during a brake apply and a brake retract. The piston bore may include a fluid inlet, a closed wall, a front opening, and a cylindrical side wall that includes a seal groove located near the front opening. Typically, the fluid inlet is located in the closed wall of the piston bore so that when pressure is applied the fluid will flow into the piston bore. During a pressure apply the fluid will push the piston towards the front opening and into contact with a brake pad that generally includes a pressure plate and friction material and the friction material will contact the rotor on one side and an opposing brake pad will contact the rotor on an opposing side creating friction to stop rotation of the rotor and any component connected to the brake system. The brake pads may slide on an abutment along an axis of the pistons or the brake pads may include holes that receive pins and the brake pads may slide on pins that extend through the brake system so that a friction force may be created.
Similarly, a fixed caliper braking system includes one or more sets of opposing pistons. During a brake apply the opposing sets of pistons may be moved towards each other and into contact with a set of opposing brake pads until the brake pads are moved into contact with a rotor creating a braking force. In some instances one or more shims may be placed between the piston and brake pad. However, during braking conditions (i.e., running) of both the floating caliper braking system and the fixed caliper braking system the brake pads may move within the brake system and vibrations, noise, harshness (NVH), the like, or a combination thereof may be transferred from the brake pads through the piston and into the brake system and the vibrations and/or noise created may be heard and/or felt by a user and/or an occupant of a vehicle which may be undesirably to the user and/or occupant.
Examples of braking systems and shims used in braking systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D337,557; D361,051; 4,155,430; 4,572,336; 6,105,736; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0025982 all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. It would be attractive to have a brake system that is free of rattling and/or vibration during running, braking conditions, or both. What is needed is a device that decouples the brake pads from the piston, the rest of the brake system, or both. What is needed is a device that allows a brake pad to move independently of other components in the brake system. What is needed is a feature that prevents a transfer of noise, vibration, or harshness from a brake pad to other components in the brake system.